Method of transporting explosive liquids

ABSTRACT

A method of transporting explosive liquids through conduits having square or rectangular cross sections and preferably through such conduits that are made from plastic or lead material. This transportation method improves the safety of transporting explosive liquids by reducing the possibility of explosion due to low velocity detonation shock waves.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Adolph B. Amster Sliver Spring. Md. [21] A l. No. 875,606 [22] Filed Nov. 12, 1969 [45] Patented July 6,1971 [73] Assignee The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy [54] METHOD OF TRANSPORTING EXPLOSIVE [50] Field of Search 137/1;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,694,404 I 1/1954 Alexander 137/1 Primary ExaminerAlan Cohan Attorneys-R. S. Sciascia and Charles D. B. Curry ABSTRACT: A method of transporting explosive liquids through conduits having square or rectangular cross sections uQLIlDs and preferably through such conduits that are made from 5 chum Drawing Figs plastic or lead material. This transportation method improves [52] U.S.Cl 137/1, the safety of transporting explosive liquids by reducing the 138/178 possibility of explosion due to low velocity detonation shock [51] Int. Cl Fl7d 1/00 waves.

EX PLOSIVE U D EXPLOSIVE MANUFA- LIQUID CTURING 2| 3! STORAGE 27 PROCESS 1 v v 3 4 23 4 29 EXPLOSIVE EXPLOSIVE LlQUlD LIQUID PATENTEDJUL 6I97l 3,590,835

EXPLOSIVE EXPNLOSIV'E 2 MkfiU F A "4 CTURING 3 "'1 EXPLOSIVE LIQUID STORAGE 27 pi PROCESS 1 l3 l7 i 3-! 23 2 EXPLOSIVE EXPLOSIVE LIQUID LIQUID INVENTOR F 4 ADOLPH 5. AMSTER ATTORNEY METHOD OF TRANSPORTING EXPLOSIVE LIQUIDS The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to a method of handling explosive liquids and more particularly to a method of handling explosive liquids that are flowing through conduits.

The conventional method of handling explosive liquids in conduits has been through the use of conduits of circular cross section. While this has proved satisfactory for many applications there is nevertheless the continuing search for methods of handling explosive liquids that makes such handling as safe and hazard-free as possible. This is especially true in explosive liquid manufacturing processes where low velocity detonation shock waves may be created by external disturbances such as those created by the opening and closing of various system flow control valves.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a safe and hazard-free method of transporting explosive liquids through conduits.

It has been discovered that explosive liquids flowing in conduits of quadrilateral, square or rectangular cross section explode less easily than the same explosive liquids flowing in conduits having a circular cross section. In addition, it has been discovered that the explosive hazard is further reduced by transporting these explosive liquids through such conduits that are made from either plastic or lead materials. Accordingly, the present invention comprises the method of transporting explosive liquids through conduits having quadrilateral, square or rectangular cross sections and preferably through conduits having such cross sections that are made of plastic or lead material.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an explosive liquid processing plant using the explosive liquid handling method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at 2-2 of FIG. I of the type of conduit used to handle the nonexplosive liquids;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at 3-3 of FIG. I ofone embodiment of the conduit used to transport the explosive liquids by the transporting method of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at 4-4 of FIG. I of another embodiment of the conduit used to transport the explosive liquids by the transporting method of the present invention.

FIG. I is a simplified schematic drawing of a typical chemical processing plant of explosive liquids using the explosive liquid transporting method of the present invention. Conduits 11 and 13 respectively having valves 15 and I7 transport nonexplosive liquids to the explosive liquid manufacturing process schematically illustrated by the block diagram indicated by reference numeral 19. It is to be understood that many different processes may be employed for manufacturing the explosive liquid and for simplicity and ease of understanding the process is shown and described only in a general manner. The explosive liquid from manufacturing process 19 is transported through conduit 21 and valve 23 to explosive liquid storage container 25. The explosive liquid may be released from storage container 25 through conduit 27 and valve 29 to other appropriate storage containers or the like.

For reasons of economy and because the transported liquid is nonexplosive it is preferable to have conduits 11 and 13 of circular cross section as indicated in FIG. 2 which is a cross section view of conduit 13 taken at 2-2 of FIG. 1.

However, based on the discovery of the present invention, conduit 21, which transports the explosive liquid from manufacturing process 19 to storage container 25, is of square cross section as Indicated in FIG. which IS a cross-sectional view of conduit 21 taken at 3-3 of FIG. 1. In addition, and based on the discovery of the present invention, conduit 27, which transports the explosive liquid from storage container 25 to other appropriate storage containers, is of rectangular cross section as indicated in FIG. 4 which is a cross-sectional view of conduit 27 taken at 4-4 of FIG. 1.

It is preferred that conduits 21 and 27 be made of plastic or lead materials provided such materials are chemically nonreactive with and are compatible with the handling of the particular explosive liquid being transported.

It is to be understood that conduit 21 may be made of square, rectangular or other quadrilateral cross section and that conduit 27 may be made of square, rectangular or other quadrilateral cross section depending upon economic considerations, the type of valving, connections and the like. Conduits of this type are particularly desirable where control valves, such as those indicated by reference numerals 23 and 29 of FIG. 1, are used in the conduits transporting the explosive liquid. This is because the opening and closing of the control valves may establish low velocity detonation shock waves of sufiicient magnitude to cause detonation of the explosive liquid.

Tests were made on various shaped conduits that were made of various types of materials. In each test the same explosive liquid and the same detonation shock were used. The explosive was a mixture of 10 percent tetranitromethane and percent nitromethane by weight. The shock valve was made by well established testing techniques and had a value that was greater than the low velocity detonation (LVD) shock wave required to detonate the above-described explosive liquid in a circular conduit and less than the shock wave required to cause high velocity detonation (HVD) commonly called Chapman-Jouqet detonation. As a result of these tests it was found that there was detonation of the explosive liquid in circular conduits but no detonation of the explosive liquid in square, rectangular, or other quadrilateral conduits when using a shock wave of the same magnitude as used in conduits of circular cross section. It was also determined that it took a stronger shock wave to initiate LVD in square, rectangular, or other quadrilateral conduits made of plastic (CR-39) or lead material as compared to steel.

What I claim is:

1. The method of transporting an explosive liquid comprising the step of flowing such explosive liquid through a conduit having a quadrilateral cross section.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said conduit is made of lead material.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said conduit is made of plastic material.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said cross section is square.

5. The process rectangular.

of claim I wherein said cross section is 

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said conduit is made of lead material.
 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said conduit is made of plastic material.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said cross section is square.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said cross section is rectangular. 